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November, 1968

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Letters To The Editor

Automating Better Education I seek to answer Charles Hutchin- son, who wrote in your August 1968 issue, and all other mathematics educa- tors: There is an organization devoted to automation, computers, data process- ing, and the mathematics educator.

This is the Society for Automation in Science and Mathematics, a Federated Society of the Society for Automating Better Education.

There are also Federated Societies for Automation in other areas, such as Fine Arts, Business Education, English and the Humanities, Professional Edu- cation, and the Social Sciences.

The first Federated Society, the So- ciety for Automation in Business Edu- cation (SABE), was formed in 1960 and now has some 750 members.

Dues of $5 a year include membership in the covering group and in one Fed- erated Society, and a subscription to the organization's monthly

J

ENOCH HAGA, President SABE

Livermore, Calif.

Computer Art Reprints

I would like to know if it is possible to obtain a copy, suitable for framing, of any of the computer art entries shown in your August 1968 issue. If copies are available, I would appreciate receiving the necessary information for placing an order.

H. G. MARTIN 3M Company St. Paul, Minn. 55101

(Ed. Note - We are undertaking the reproduction and sale of some of the art which was published in our August issue. An announcement of which jJic- tures will be rejJroduced and how much they' will cost will be made in Com- puters and Automation as soon as the re jJroductions are available.)

Proof Goofs

Your new feature, "Proof Goofs", which appeared in your September issue was most interesting to me.

In addition to the errors you pointed out, I believe "shipmates" in the second line of the third paragraph is an error.

However, this could be considered an editorial error since it is a misuse of the word. According to Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, shipmate is "one who serves on the same ship with an- other". Thus, the men aboard the Docker gave three hoarse cheers to themselves! The sentence should have been edited to: "The men aboard the Docker gave three hoarse cheers to the crews of the other ships, but the noise of the breakers drowned them out."

Now that you have started this fea- ture, please keep it up. I'm sure you'll find an abundance of material.

WILLIAM A. BARDEN, Director Defense SUjJJ)ly Agency

Alexandria, Va. 22314

Here are my corrections for the

"Proof Goofs" in the September issue.

The obvious ones are "reunited" and

"terrestrial". Less obvious, and all too commonly overlooked: Docker's, not Docker's. The apostrophe and "s"

should be in roman, not italic, because they are not part of the boat's name.

GEORGE W. PRICE I nstitute of Gas Technology Chicago, Ill. 60616

Excellent Magazine

. I understand you had an excellent article, "The Ford Computer Graphics Project", in your Nov. 1967 issue.

May I say, as a new subscriber, that I think you have an excellent magazine - one with more substantive material than any of the others that I see.

ARTHUR N. CONNER, JR.

President

Micromation Systems Inc.

Hyattsville, Md. 20781

( Ed. Note - Tear sheets of Nov. article sent. )

Vol. 17, No. 11 - November, 1968

Editor Edmund C. Berkeley

Associate Editor Sharry Langdale Assistant Editors

Contributing Editors

Adl^Jisory Committee

Aft Directors

Fulfillment Manager

Moses M. Berlin Linda Ladd Lovett Neil D. Macdonald John Bennett Andrew D. Booth Dick H. Brandon John W. Carr III Ned Chapin Alston S. Householder Peter Kugel Leslie Mezei Rod E. Packer Ted Schoeters T. E. Cheatham, Jr.

James J. Cryan Richard W. Hamming Alston S. Householder Victor Paschkis Ray W. Hass Daniel T. Langdale William J. McMillan

Advertising Representatives

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815 Washington St., 617-332-5453 Newtonville, Mass. 02160

Editorial Offices

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CIRCULATION AUDITED BY AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATIONS

COMPUTERS AND AUTOMATION IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY AT 815 WASHINGTON ST., NEWTONVillE, MASS. 02160, BY BERKElEY ENTER.

PRISES, INC. PRINTED IN U.S.A. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: UNITED STATES, $15.00 FOR 1 YEAR, $29.00 FOR 2 YEARS, INCLUDING THE JUNE DIRECTORY ISSUE; CANADA, ADD SO¢ A YEAR FOR POSTAGE;

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POSTMASTER: PLEASE SEND ALL fORMS 3579 TO BERKElEY ENTER·

PRISES, INC., 815 WASHINGTON ST., NEWTONVillE, MASS. 02160 ,i) COPY.f!IGHT, 1968, BY BERKElEY ENTERPRISES, INC. CHANGE Of ADDRESS: IF YOUR ADDRESS CHANGES, PLEASE SEND US BOTH YOUR NEW ADDRESS AND YOUR OlD ADDRESS (AS IT APPEARS ON THE MAGAZINE ADDRESS IMPRINT), AND AllOW THREE WEEKS fOR THE CHANGE TO BE MADE.

November, 1968, Vol. 17, No. 1 1 T he magazine of the design, ajJplirclti()llJ. alld impliratiom of information processing systems.

Special Feature:

Graphic Data Processing

14 INTERACTIVE COMPUTER GRAPHICS

by Henry J. Genthner

How interactive computer graphics allows a user to maintain "thinking momen- tum" . . . and thus to cut design costs, speed up development, and increase profits.

18 LOW COST GRAPHICS

by Murray Rubin

The applications . . . and limitations . . . of the "refresh" approach and the

"storage" approach to low-cost graphic display systems.

22 A COMPUTERIZED PHOTOCOMPOSITION SYSTEM OF GRAPHIC ARTS QUALITY

by Phillip P. Petron

The properties, operation, and applications of a computerized photocomposition system, which can make characters of graphic arts quality at speeds up to 6,000 characters per second.

28 COMPUTER GRAPHICS IN ELECTRONIC CIRCUIT DESIGN

by J. Robert Logan

New, simple, effective computer methods to define graphic information have cut the time needed to produce a reproducible circuit design from 24 days to 8 liz hours, for a typical eight-layer laminate.

31 MACHINE-GENERATED SPEECH FOR USE WITH COMPUTERS, and the problem of fitting a spoken word into one half second

by W. D. Van Gieson, Jr., and W. D. Chapman

How a word may be masked, filtered, or chopped, with no loss of understanding, in order to fit into the half second allotted for utterance by an audio response unit controlled by a computer.

36 MICROFILM COMBINED WITH COMPUTER FOR INFORMATION HANDLING

by George H. Harmon

The advantages of combining two powerful tools, one passive and one active, for information handling.

Re gular Features

Editorial

6 Operation Bootstrap in the Computer Field, by Edmund C. Berkeley

Ideas : Spotlight

20 Both "Encyclopedic, Tutorial" and "Information-Dispensing" Information Retrieval Systems Should Receive Emphasis, by Manfred Kochen

C&A Worldwide

38 Report from Great Britain, by Ted Schoeters

Jobs and Careers in Data Processing

39 Computer Training for the Disadvantaged, by Sharry Langdale

Computer Market Report

40 In the Background . . . Government Procurement Policies, a Computerized Stock Exchange, Continued Sales, and Research for the "Fifth" Generation, by Ted Schoeters

Fifteen Years Ago in Computers and Automation

42 How a Central Computing Laboratory Can Help Industry, by Dr. Richard F.

Clippinger

Multi-Access Forum

11 "Communications Data Processing or Time Sha ring" - Comments, by Gordon R.

Carlson

11 The Market for "Civil Systems" Will Equal 10% of the Gross National Product in 10 Years - a Prediction, by Simon T. Ramo

12 Proof Goofs and Proofreading Errors - Comments, by Enoch J. Haga and the Editor 13 What is a "Systems Analyst"?, by Carroll A. Hazen

13 IEEE Technical Committee on Computer Peripheral Equipment Seeks Volunteers 13 Who's Who in the Computer Field, 1968-69 - Entries

COMPUTERS and AUTOMATION for November, 1968

The front cover shows a Univac graphic display which uses digital deflection. The digital deflection technique differs from the usual analog' deflection technique in that:

it is electromagnetic instead of electrostatic,' it eliminates converting digital inputs into analog inputs,' and it provides a more stable and accurate image. For more information, see page 55.

Departments

45 Across the Editor's Desk - Computing and Data Pro- cessing Newsletter 66 Advertising Index 65 Book Reviews

8 Calend'ar of Coming Events 4 Letters to the Editor 61 Monthly Computer Census 59 New Contracts

60 New Installations 66 New Patents

by Raymond R. Skolnick 26 Numbles

by Neil Macdonald 26 Problem Corner

by Walter Penney, CDP 41 Proof Goofs

by Neil Macdonald

C- a

EDITORIAL

Operation Bootstrap In The Computer Field

In my mail on October 3 arrived the following notice, printed on the first page of the October issue of DA T ALINK, the monthly newsletter ?f the Los Angeles Chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery:

Program: The Ghet~b. and the Computer Professional Speakers: Sam Feingold, System Development Corp.; Bob

Hall, Operation Bootstrap

This month's program features a hard-hitting commentary on today's most relevant and pressing problem. Operation Bootstrap is a non-profit organization whose goals are to educate from within members of the Black Community.

'Vith the motto of "Learn, Baby, Learn", Bootstrap has set up cultural and educational activities which are meeting these goals. Mr. Feingold has been teaching computer programming at Operation Bootstrap. He will discuss the complexities of this work and the successes and failures which have been encountered so far. Bob Hall is a co- founder of Operation Bootstrap; he will represent them in the discussion. A feature in the program will be a movie about Bootstrap which tells it like it is in the ghetto, in stark details guaranteed to make you know it as it is.

This is one of the most controversial and timely topics facing today's professional groups.

Is it illusory and unfair to trainees to let them expect to work in professional areas without holding the engraved invitation of a college degree?

Do professional organizations have an obligation to solve social problems which fall outside of their narrow fields of special interest?

Or is a serious disservice being done to members of pro- fessional societies by developing technicians without full educational credentials?

A serious and com plete discussion of these and other complex problems facing our society and its professionals is expected. Plan now to attend. Can you afford not to?

Place ....

Date: Wednesday, October 2, 1968. Time: . . . I was a bit tempted to catch the next plane and go. But I did not have the capacity to imitate Miss Bright of Einstein- ian fame:

There was a young lady named Bright Whose speed was far faster than light;

She set out one day in a relative way And arrived the preceding night.

Pleasantries aside, we think the Program Committee of the Los Angeles Chapter deserves much credit for arranging such a meeting, and for calling for discussion of this impor- tant area of the social responsibilities of computer people.

Our answers to the questions set by the Program Commit- tee are:

• No, it is not illusory and unfair to trainees to let them expect to work in professional areas without a col- lege degree - but the teacher of training must em- phasize that more than just knowledge is needed:

also, perseverance, responsibility, capacity to learn more, etc.

• Yes, all professional organizations have an obligation to bring their special professional capacities to bear on solving important social problems - especially ( 1) those which touch on their special capacities, or can use their general training as professionals, and (2) those where the problems are urgent.

• No, it is not a serious disservice to professional socie- ties to develop technicians without full educational credentials, unless deception is practiced. Some technical credentials are better than none. And more technical credentials are better than a few.

The problem of helping untrained people from the ghettoes and similar people from underdeveloped countries is not easily solved.

It cannot be solved by doing nothing about it, simply let- ting time take its course.

Nor can it be solved by the attitude "That is none of my business. Let George do it."

Nor can it be solved by tolerating enormous diversion of government funds from productive activities to non-produc- tive activities. The United States government is spending millions of dollars per day in bombing, napalming, and de- foliating areas in South East Asia, trying to shore up a cor- rupt puppet government supported by far less than half of the people in the area it is supposed to govern. The govern- ment of the U.S.S.R. is spending millions of dollars per day in maint:tining 600,000 occupation troops in Czechoslovakia, trying to prevent changes in a government, changes which are thirsted for by millions of the people in Czechoslovakia.

These enormous funds should be diverted from these un- fortunate objectives and instead devoted to the benefit of people, ordinary people, common people, people here and there all over the world who need food, shelter, clothing - and training and education to equip themselves to work with more advanced industrial techniques. These funds should support an Operation Bootstrap all over the world.

ComjJuters and Automation desires to publish from time to time discussion and argument about:

1. How can professionals in the computer field make sure that partially qualified persons from ghettoes receive opportunities to become more fully qualified in the computer field?

2. How can the ten-mile gap be bridged, between the suburbs where the computer professionals are, and the urban ghettoes where people of minority groups can become trained and useful?

3. How is an employer to establish fair and equitable rules to apply to both people from ghetto areas whom he wants to help, and his regular employees?

4. How can computer professional~ usefully contribute their knowledge and experience for instruction and education of members of underprivileged groups?

E'""~C.~

Editor ,

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Population Explosion!

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Planned Parenthood, which created a family of Interdata computers, has resulted in a population explosion!

There are more than 100 good reasons why you should consider a member of the Interdata family for your next computer! '

See Interdata and its offspring at F JCC Booth nos. 1504 & 1505.

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OCEANPORT, NEW JERSEY 07757 201 - 229-4040

Designate No. 17 on Reader Service Card

CALENDAR OF COMING EVENTS

Nov. 7-8, 1968: The Association for Precision Graphics (for- merly The Precision Plotter Users Association), Second Na- tional Conference, The Univ. of Southern Calif., Los An- geles, Calif.; contact William G. Reimann, Nat'l Chmn., Assoc. for Precision Graphics, c/o Litton Systems, Inc., 5500 Canoga Ave., Woodland Hills, Calif. 91364

Nov. 10-13, 1968: Digitronics Users Association, Bourbon Orleans Hotel, New Orleans, La.; contact Digitronics Users Association, P.O. Box 113, Albertson, N.V. 11507

Nov. 25-26, 1968: Society for Information Display (SID), 1968 National Technical Conference, Waldorf Astoria Hotel, New York, N.Y.; contact Richard Du Bois, Wagner Electric Corp., Tung-Sol Div., 200 Bloomfield Ave., Bloomfield, N.].

07003

Dec. 2-4, 1968: Second Conference on Applications of Simu- lation (SHARE/ ACM/IEEE/SCI), Hotel Roosevelt, New York, N.Y.; contact Julian Reitman, Norden-United Air- craft Corp., Norwalk, Conn. 06856

Dec. 9-11, 1968: Fall Joint Computer Conference, Civic Audi- torium (Program sessions), Brookshall (industrial and edu- cation exhibits), San Francisco Civic Center, San Francisco, Calif.; contact Dr. William H. Davidow, General Chairman,

395 Page Mill Rd., Palo Alto, Calif. 94306

Dec. 12-13, 1968: Digital Equipment Computer Users Society (DECUS) 1968 Fall Symposium, Jack Tar Hotel, San Francisco, Calif.; contact Angela ]. Cossette, Digital Equip- ment Computer Users Society, Main St., Maynard, Mass.

01754

Dec. 16-18, 1968: Adaptive Processes Symposium, Univ. of California at L.A., Los Angeles, Calif.; contact]. M. Mendel, Douglas Aircraft Co. Inc., 3000 Ocean Pk. Blvd., Santa Monica, Calif.

Jan. 15-17, 1969: Second Annual Simulation Symposium, Tampa, Fla.; contact Annual Simulation Symposium, P.O.

Box 1155, Tampa, Fla. 33601

Jan. 28-31.. 1969: International Symposium on Information Theory, Nevele Country Club, Ellenville, N.Y.; contact David Slepian, Dept. of Transportation, Washington, D.C.

Jan. 30-31, 1969: Third Annual Computer Science and Sta- tistics Symposium of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Asso- ciation for Computing Machinery (ACM), International Hotel, Los Angeles, Calif.; contact Business Admn. Exten- sion Seminars, Room 2381, GBA, Univ. of Calif., Los Angeles, Calif. 90024.

March 24-26, 1969: 10th VIM meeting, (users group of Control Data 6000 computer series), Florida State Univer- sity Union, Tallahassee, Fla.; contact Carol ]. Richardson, Control Data Corp., 8100 34th Ave. So., Minneapolis, Minn.

55440

March 24-27, 1969: IEEE International Convention & Ex- hibition, Coliseum and N.Y. Hilton Hotel, New York, N.Y.;

contact IEEE Headquarters, 345 East 47th St., New York, N.Y. 10017

March 26-29, 1969: 16th International Meeting of The In- stitute of Management Sciences, Hotel Commodore, New York, N.Y.; contact Granville R. Garguilo, Arthur Anderson

& Co., 80 Pine St., New York, N.Y. 10005

April J-3, 1969: Numerical Control Society's Sixth Annual Meeting & Technical Conference, Stouffer's Cincinnati Inn, Cincinnati, Ohio; contact Peter Senkiw, Advanced Com- puter Systems, Inc., 2185 South Dixie Ave., Dayton, Ohio 45409

April 15-18, 1969: The Institution of Electrical Engineers and the Institution of Electronic and Radio Engineers Computer Aided Design Conference, Southampton University, So 9,

5 NH., Hampshire, England; contact Conference Dept., lEE, Savoy Place, London, W.C.2

April 23-25, 1969: 21st Annual Southwestern IEEE Confer- ence and Exhibition, San Antonio Convention and Exhibition Center, San Antonio, Texas; contact William E. Cory, Southwest Research Institute, Box 2296, San Antonio, Texas 78206

May 14-16, 1969: Spring Joint Computer Conference, War Memorial Auditorium, Boston, Mass.; contact American Federation for Information Processing (AFIPS), 345 E.

47th St., New York, N.Y. 10017

May 18-21, 1969: Power Industry Computer Application Con- ference, Brown Palace Hotel, Denver, Colorado; contact W. D. Trudgen, General Electric Co., 2255 W. Desert Cove Rd., P.O. Box 2918, Phoenix, Ariz. 85002

June 9-11, 1969: IEEE International Communications Con- ference, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo.; Dr. Martin Nesenbergs, Environmental Science Services Administration, Institute for Telecommunication Sciences, R614, Boulder, Colo. 80302

June 16-19, 1969: Data Processing Management Association (DPMA) 1969 Internat'l Data Processing Conference and Business Exposition, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; contact Mrs. Margaret Rafferty, DPMA, 505 Busse Hwy., Park Ridge, Ill. 60068

June 16-21, 1969: Fourth Congress of the International Federa- tion of Automatic Control (IFAC), Warsaw, Poland; contact Organizing Comm. of the 4th IF AC Congress, P.O. Box 903, Czackiego 3/5, Warsaw 1, Poland.

June 17-19, 1969: IEEE Computer Group Conference, Leam- ington Hotel, Minneapolis, Minn.; contact Scott Foster, The Sheffield Group, Inc., 1104 Currie Ave., Minneapolis, Minn.

55403

June 21-28, 1969: Second Conference on Management Sci- ence for Transportation, Transportation Center at North- western University, 1818 Hinman Ave., Evanston, Ill. 60204;

contact Page Townsley, Asst. Dir., Management Programs, 1818 Hinman Ave., Evanston, Ill.

Aug. 6-8, 1969: Joint Automatic Control Conference, Univ. of Colorado.. Boulder, Colorado; contact unknown at this time.

Aug. 11-15, 1969: Australian Computer Society, Fourth Aus- tralian Computer Conference, Adelaide Univ., Adelaide, South Australia; contact Dr. G. W. Hill, Prog. Comm.

Chrmn., A.C.C.69, C/-C.S.I.R.O., Computing Science Bldg., Uni\:. of Adelaide, Adelaide, S. Australia 5000.

Aug. 25-29, 1969: Datafair 69 Symposium, Manchester, England; contact the British Computer Society, 23 Dorset Sq., London, N.W. 1, England

Oct. 6-10, 1969: Second International Congress on Project Planning by Network Analysis, INTERNET 1969, Inter- national Congress Centre RAI, Amsterdam, the Netherlands;

contact Local Secretariat, c/o Holland Organizing Centre, 16 Lange Voorhout, The Hague, the Netherlands

Oct. 27-31, 1969: Business Equipment Manufacturers Assoc.

(BEMA) Annual Business Equipment Exposition and Man- agement Conference, New York Coliseum, Columbus Circle, New York, N.Y. 10023; contact Laurance C. Messick, Busi- ness Equipment Manufacturers Assoc., 235 East 42nd St., New York, N.Y. 10017

Nov. 18-20, 1969: Fall Joint Computer Conference, Conven- tion Hall, Las Vegas, Nev.; contact American Federation for Information Processing (AFIPS), 345 E. 47th St., New

York, N.Y. 10017 •

~~~~ ~-.~~ .. ~---~~-.. ~~~ - - - _ . ^{~--~ ~-~-}~ -.~ .-~-~ .. -.--.-- - - -

Who said you can't buy more 16-Bit computer capability for less than $30,000?

see Says you can - and you don't have to be a Dr. Livingston to find it.

Our NEW 4700, 16 bit, 920 Nanosecond Digital Computer is the first small machine with a through- put rate fast enough to handle those tough jobs ...

It costs less than $15,000 for the basic machine.

The 4700 can free a larger system for more important work. It can be the brains behind a satellite com- munications network ... a message switcher or a data terminal.

The 4700 can control processes while your engineers check out programs simultaneously. It gives you an economical way out of the communications bottle- neck ... a complete remote capability at a price you can afford.

Compare the 4700 with other computers.

You can spend $30,000 for a 16-bit model that expands from 4K to 32K. The 4700 expands from 4K to 65K.

You can pay $30,000 for a 16-bit machine with a 790 nanosecond cycle time. The 4700 does it in 920 nanoseconds, but it only costs half the price.

You can spend $30,000 for a 16-bit machine and not get hardware double precision and floating point arithmetic. The 4700 offers this option for only

$5,000.

Furthermore, we don't know any 18-bit orange that dares to compare itself with our 16-bit apple.

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Whatever Your Computer Application - Be Sure You Talk With SCC Before You Buy

Scientific Control Corporation

P.O. Box 34529 • Dallas, Texas 75234 • 214 - 241-2111 • TWX 910·860·5509

EASTERN REGION: College Park, Md.

Huntsville, Ala.

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CENTRAL REGION: Dallas, Tex. WESTERN REGION: Palo Alto, Calif.

Hazelwood, Mo. EI Monte, Calif.

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Designate No. lOon Reader Service Card

MULTI-ACCESS FORUM

"COMMUNICATIONS DATA PROCESSING OR TIME SHARING" - COMMENT

Gordon R. Carlson, Technical Director Computer-Research Div.

Booth Newspapers Inc.

200 E. 1st St.

Flint, Mich. 48502

The article "Communications Data Processing or Time Sharing" in the August 1~J68 issue of this magazine is another in a long list of "X" versus "Y" articles.

This type of article is ill-advised, in my opinion, for sev- eral reasons:

1. The reliability of a conclusion, based on a compari- son of two or more items, is dependent upon the thoroughness and accuracy of the investigation. A discussion of complex topics, such as the above article covered, require a more thorough treatment of the items being compared than can be accom- plished in a short article.

2. For too long a time, a major portion of the comput- ing industry has regarded different aspects of com- puting ( e.g. : business data processing; scientific computing; batch processing; multi-programming;

time sharing; interactive dialog; on-line;. off-line) as completely separate areas with little or no common relationships. This prevents cross-pollination of ex- periences and ideas. This type of article fosters and continues this situation, \vhich is not in the best interest of the industry and user.

Rather than arguing "X" vs "Y", we should be discussing

"What is X" and "What is Y" and how can these tools be applied to help improve our computing effectiveness. Until sllch time as users become knowledgeable enough to under- stand "X" and "Y", the tools they provide, and how to use these tools, \\'e will continue to be faced with massive con- version efforts every several years with its corresponding

waste of human effort when trying to increase our computing capability and effectiveness.

Hardware manufacturers are involved in software only to that extent which is necessary to sell their equipment. The quality and effectiveness of their product will be in direct relationship to the quality and effectiveness of our demands for use of their products and services.

Several points should be kept in mind in discussions such as this one, since these points often outweigh all other cri- teria in computing:

1. The name of the game is profitable and effective computing for organizations and increasing effective- ness of human beings.

2. The preliminary installation of computing equipment is usually based on a preliminary application which is only one aspect of the processing needs of an organization.

3. In order to maintain profitability and effectiveness, an organization must be dynamic and growing, and its computing needs reflect this. In order to properly handle an organization's computing needs, a system should be implemented on a basic framework which allows mixing of strategems and environments, with the ability to change the mix without a major conver- sion effort.

The problem that we face is learning how to make com- puting equipment and systems effectively respond to dynamic environments. To this end, we cannot afford to discount any techniques or ideas without proper investigation and experi-

mentation. •

THE MARKET FOR "CIVIL SYSTEMS" WILL EQUAL 10% OF THE GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT IN 10 YEARS - A PREDICTION

Based on an interview with Dr. Simon Ramo, Vice-Chairman of TRW, Inc., reported in Electronic News September 16, 1968.

In recent years, problems such as ground and air traffic, transportation, pollution, and urban development have excited systems engineers in the aerospace industry, but the problems have not excited their profit-oriented management. In the past year, the situation has changed, and federal and state budgets are finding room to include development of "civil systems".

The change has come about primarily through public sentiment. Public understanding, even an "eagerness", has replaced apathy toward technology. People realize now that

COMPUTERS and AUTOMATION for November, 1968

we have the power and the need to solve social problems.

They have begun to ask, If we can land a man on the moon, why can't I get to the airport in less time than it takes to orbit the earth? If we can analyze a malfunctioning diode on the moon, why can't we monitor a heart with the same precision? If we can supply oxygen for astronauts On the moon, why can't we breathe the air here at home?

There is also a growing feeling that "technologists created the problems, so let them solve them."

11

In the past, America's prIOrIty list of technological devel- opments has placed security ,(national defense) at the head of the list, with the space program number two, and civil systems running a poor third. But civil systems is moving into the number one spot, starting with the public, and spreading to their elected representatives. During the next decade, the civil systems market may well equal 10% of the gross national product, growing to an annual rate of $100 billion 10 years from now.

What about the hardware? The technology itself is now ready, but the systems engineer and the hardware developer must constantly work hand-in-hand. The systems problems can't be solved without knowing the hardware capability, but the hardware can't be specified without systems engineering first. They have to come along together.

The "old-fashioned" approach to marketing hardware,

where you take a company product and try to specify it for new uses, is not valid in the civil systems field. The systems engineer has to know what hardware exists and then work it into a system which is economically feasible. But this does not mean that the large systems firms will, therefore, corner the market on hardware sales by specifying their own equip- ment. In the case of TRW's systems contract on a transpor- tation system for the "Northeast Corridor", for example, the need is arising for a new type of lightweight passenger vehicle. When the specifications are completed, TRW might build it; but it is just as likely to be built by an aircraft or auto manufacturer.

The civil systems market will mean big business - the time has come when the aerospace industry can go out to play in the heavy traffic for profit rather than just for fun.

•

PROOF GOOFS AND PROOFREADING ERRORS - COMMENTS

I. From Enoch J. Haga

Foundation for Business Education 247 Edythe St.

Livermore, Calif. 94550

As a sometime writer and editor, and a former engineering writer, I found your September 1968 Editorial and other data on "Proof Goofs" to be fascinating. I personally believe that the last error will always be discovered in the first printed copies! Hence, a proper subject for discussion is the control of errors, not their elimination.

Just today I noticed in looking through a copy of the JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION, I believe the April 1968 issue, they have what appears to be a regular feature on "Textbook Errors." In this connection, it seems to me that more textbooks are being written, sans editing, than ever before. The same seems true in magazines and of course in newspapers.

In a sense, errors are responsible for computers. Charles Babbage, it should be recalled, was vitally concerned with the elimination of errors in printed tables. His Difference Engines and Analytical Engine were accordingly designed to produce printing plates directly from error-proof calcula- tions. (See CHARLES BABBAGE AND HIS CALCU- LATING ENGINES, Dover Publications, Inc.; look in Index under "Errors".)

I want to take issue with the method of proofreading described in your Editorial. In practice, I have found it

II. From the Editor

The amount of proofreading error which can be found is a function of many factors. One of these certainly is the alertness of the editor reading by himself and trying to catch errors which have slipped by the author and which are on a level such that no pair of ordinary proofreaders, one read- ing and one watching, could be expected to catch. Woe to the alertness of the editor, if he has eaten more of a lunch than he should and he feels sleepy at his desk later!

I think the exciting stimulus to a higher and higher level

wanting 111 several respects. First, errors of punctuation are difficult to detect in this fashion. Second, it is almost im- possible to get complete synchronization of the reader with the "follower." More could be said, but punctuation is far more vital than pronunciation. That is, errors detected by means of pronouncing the words seem less consequential than punctuation errors. Further, reader-follower proofread- ing tends to gloss over editing along with proofreading.

Serious errors in structure or word sequence can be dis- covered by an alert proofreader. So, for many situations, I think that it is best for one person to read and compare. He sees all punctuation, he can match line for line in synchroni- zation, and he can remain mentally alert so as to catch logical or structural errors in the content. Proofreading is not a low-level skill unless you are willing to settle for that! In fact, the "let's hurry up and read this" attitude probably promotes errors. Magazine editors, I think, should return proofs to authors for checking, in addition to running their own checks. Both magazine editors and book publishers should do more editing. Why correct errors in sloppy writing?

Proofreading errors can probably be detected on computers in a manner similar to that which Babbage proposed: Read in the manuscript directly to the computing equipment.

of alert solo proofreading is to know that errors will inevita- bly occur, and to be prepared,. to catch them when they do occur. The prepared mind makes important new discoveries in science - and the editor who is mentally fitting together the context of words as they are used becomes eventually prepared to find remarkable errors, such as the one shown in the Proof Goof in Walter de la Mare's poem which we

publish in this issue. •

WHAT IS A "SYSTEMS ANALYST"?

Carroll A. Hazen Senior Systems Analyst

Pottawattamie County Board of Education Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501

Sidney Davis' article ("A Flexible Concept for Recruiting Data Processing Personnel for the 1970's," page 22 in the September 1968 issue) and the philosophy it presented to American industry was very well done, up to the point of the subheading "Finding Systems Analysts." Here he becomes a victim of the gross popular misconception that a Systems Analyst is the captive talent and foster-son of the data pro- cessing profession!

Since this thinking has become so popular, I feel very strongly that the air should be cleared on this matter.

There are two distinct varieties of "Systems Men":

( 1) The Systems Specialist - whose efforts encompass a specialized field, i.e., Programmer-Analyst, Forms Design, \York 11easurements, Task-Analyst, Produc- tion-Analyst, and 37 other specialists; and

(2) The Systems Analyst - who by virtue of this title is a generalist and will have extensive experience in at least 4 "specialist areas" with more than just a nodding acquaintance with the other 38.

This means that those who honestly wear the title of "Systems [accent on the plural] Analyst" have considerable maturation both in business and years.

The statement

. . . if they come from unrelated industries, (they) re- quire a substantial amount of time to gain an under- standing of your business

,,·ould also take issue with. This is true in the case of the Systems Specialist, but as for the Systems Generalist, a most emphatic NO!

Environmental assimilation and perception are mandatory

hr the Systems Generalist. •

IEEE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE ON COMPUTER PERIPHERAL EQUIPMENT SEEKS VOLUNTEERS

Edwin I. Blumenthal, Chairman

Peripherals Equipment Comm., IEEE Computer Group Burroughs Corp.

Paoli, Pa. 19301

The Technical Committee On Peripheral Equipment re- cently formed by the IEEE Computer Group invites volun- teers of professional stature to join in its work.

The scope of the committee's work includes the design of both peripheral devices and peripheral subsystems. The subcommittee on Device Design is primarily concerned with the design of input/output devices, and in general with the design of devices peripheral to data processing systems in- cluding mass storage, displays, and special purpose devices.

The subcommittee on Subsystem Design is concerned with:

the design of peripheral subsystems; the buffering and control of peripheral equipment; and the trade-offs between hard- wired logic and small programmable computers for buffering and controlling combinations of input/output devices.

Interested volunteers should contact me at the above ad- dress, indicating their specific experience and on which sub- committee they are best qualified to serve. • COMPUTERS and AUTOMATION for November, 1968

WHO'S WHO IN THE COMPUTER FIELD, 1968-69 - ENTRIES

Who's Who in the Computer Field 1968-1969 (the Fifth Edition of our Who's Who), will be published by Computers and Automation during 1969. The Fourth Edition, 253 pages, with about 5000 capsule biographies was published in 1963. The Third Edition, 199 pages, was published in 1957.

In the Fifth Edition we hope to include upwards of la, 000 capsule biographies including as many persons as possible who have distinguished themselves in the field of computers and data processing.

If you wish to be considered for inclusion in the Who's Who, please complete the following form or pro-

vide us wi th the equivalent information. (If you have al- ready sent us a form 'some time during the past eight months, it is not necessary to send us another one unless there is a change in information. )

WHO'S WHO ENTRY FORM (may be copied on any piece of paper)

1. Name? (Please print) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 2. Home Address (with Zip) ? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 3. Organization? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 4. Its Address (with Zip) ? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 5. Your Title ? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 6. Your Main Interests?

Applications Mathem'atics Business

Construction Design

Programming Sales

Systems Other Logic

Management (Please specify)

7. Year of Birth ? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 8. Education and Degrees ? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 9. Year Entered Computer Field? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 10. Occupation? ___________________ _ 11. Publications, Honors, Memberships, and other

Distinctions ? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

(attach paper if needed)

12. Do you have access to a computer? )Yes ( )No a. If yes, what kind of computer?

Manufacturer _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___

Model

b. Where-is-it-in-s-t-a-ll-e-d-:--- Manufacturer ? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Address? _______ - - - - c. Is your access: Batch? ( Time-shared? (

Other? ( ) Please explain: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ d. Any remarks ? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 13. Associates or friends who should be sent Who's Who

entry forms?

Name and Address

(attach paper if needed) When completed, please send to:

Who's Who Editor, Computers and Automation, 815 Washington St., Newtonville, Mass. 02160

Interactive computer graphics (leG) is one of the fastest growing areas in electronic and mechanical design.

The value of interactive computer graphics is revealed in its name. It enables the user to establish two-way, real- time communication with a computer in graphic language - and to make use of the machine's problem-solving capability at the same time.

Hierarchy of Languages

In order to understand the value of interactive computer graphics, we should consider a few basic principles of com- munications.

Languages convey thoughts. The most prImItIve language conveys a small portion of the total thought in a language unit.

Binary language is perhaps the most primitive language.

The language unit is a "bit", and it takes many "bits" to convey a complex thought. Fortran and Cobol are higher level languages.

A picture or chart is a unit of graphic language. The cliche "one picture is worth a thousand words" describes the power of a unit of graphic language to express thoughts. To illustrate: often alphanumeric printouts of computer runs are plotted on graph paper to obtain the full meaning of the data. Until the alphanumeric data is plotted, various characteristics expressed by the data (e.g., noise, trends, extremes, etc.) are difficult to envision.

Plotters can provide one-way graphic communications with a computer by directly converting computer output to curve plots, diagrams, etc. Machines are also available which will convert graphic computer input directly to punch cards.

Henry

J.

He holds a B.S. degree in Aeronautics from St. Louis University, and has over ten years' experience in the planning and integration of electronic data processing systems.

Using these mechanisms, engineers, project managers, and scientists, can communicate with a computer in their own language: charts, graphs, and diagrams. The process, how- ever, is loaded with time lags. The user must submit graphics for conversion to punch cards, submit programs of data decks for processing, and go to off-line plotters for output.

The total process is like communicating with the problem solver (the computer) by mail. If the problem solver is working on a highly complex problem, with numerous input options, it is impossible to maintain what is sometimes called

"thinking momentum."

Real-Time Graphic Communications

Interactive computer graphics makes it possible to com- municate with a computer in real-time. With such a system, a user can describe his problem in terms of charts, graphs, schematics, pictorial news, etc., and can read out the results of analyses in equaly descriptive form. Operating in a time- sharing mode, the user ties up the computing capability of the computer for only short intervals, to compute problem solutions and to process graphics, leaving the bulk of the computer time available for batch processing.

The user constructs the routines which translate the graph- ics to computer input, and reduces the computer output to charts, graphs, etc. The user is relatively unrestricted in that he can use such graphics as vector diagrams, system schematics, in fact whatever he needs, to describe input or output on the display.

In summary, interactive computer graphics automates the translation of a problem from engineering diagrams or schematics or graphs to a numerical description, vhe conver- sion to computer input medium (e.g. punch cards, tape), and the reduction of computer output to easily interpretable form. All of this is accomplished within a time which makes it possible to maintain "thinking momentum." It offers the user tangible savings by automating tedious tasks and re- ducing errors of translation, and the less tangible benefits of improved power to solve problems.

The Interactive Computer Graphic System Two primary factors differentiate the interactive graphIcs terminal from a standard peripheral: (1) The functions per- formed by the graphic terminal are an integral part of the problem-solving process; and (2) In order to be economical, the interactive computer graphics terminal must operate in a fully time-shared mode.

For these two reasons, it is essential that the interactive computer graphics terminal be closely integrated into the total computer system.

System Hardware and Function

The graphics of an interactive computer graphics system are generated on the face of a cathode ray tube. vhe display may be tonal (generated by a raster scan, such as in televi- sion) or may be a vector type display (in which the electron beam can be moved in any direction across the face of the CR T) . Both vector and tonal capabilities are available in advanced interactive display systems.

When using an interactive computer graphics system, the operator inputs either coordinate position information or alphanumeric data to the system. Several mechanisms are available for such inputs. These include the light pen, the 10-key numeric keyboard, the function keyboard,. and a standard alphanumeric keyboard.

The light pen is the most widely used means of directly addressing points on the CRT face. The so-called light pen is actually a light detector which reads electron beam posi- tion. The detected beam position is related to the position of a graphic entity (e. g., circle, arc, curve) being displayed on the CRT face. Through the use of a tracking pattern (such as a tracking cross), the light pen can also be used to "draw" entities on the CRT face.

In order to treat very large physical entities graphically, the display surface can be set up to represent a window over a construction grid. For a particular application it may be desirable to draw on various portions of a very large construc-

COMPUTERS and AUTOMATION for November, 1968

Display can view different positions of the construction grid.

Enlarging, or "zooming" can define a large ship to .001 inch.

tion grid, or "move" the display surface to view a different portion of the construction grid. A capability can also be provided to "zoom" in on a small portion of the construction grid (much in the way that a movie camera zooms in on an image) to get a closer view. Similarly, the capability can he provided to zoom back and take an overall view.

These manipulations give power to define large entities with fine precision. It would be possible, for example, to define an area the size of the United States to within a foot or smaller if necessary. A large ship can be defined to .001 inches.

Interactive computer graphics systems must provide for the storage of the mathematical description of the graphic entities used in any interactive computer graphics applica- tion. This includes the description of curves, graph grids, and geometric constructions. These graphic entities may be stored in the computer memory or in a peripheral buffer memory.

In general, a system which employs peripherally stored graphics represents a higher cost for peripheral equipment, but a lower overall system cost. In addition, peripherally stored graphics are protected from program errors, which often "wipe out" information contained in the computer memory.

There are various other minor design variations in inter- active computer graphics equipment. One system may use hardware to display alphanumeric characters, while another may use software. One system may employ hardware to provide light-pen tracking, another might accomplish the S:lme function with software. In general, hardware display control is faster, while software control is more flexible.

Systems Software

Those computing equipment manufacturers which market an integrated interactive computer graphics system (consist- ing of the computer, graphics equipment, standard pe- ripherals, software, etc.) supply a graphics software package with the system. This package consists of a graphics execu- tive program and a library of graphics routines.

15

The graphics executive program is resident in the computer during the running of any graphics application program.

The function of this resident executive is to manage the running of the graphics application, and drive the display terminals. The library of graphic routines is generally carried on mass storage (disk, tape, etc.). They are brought into the computer memory from the mass storage file while the graph- ics application program is being run. These graphic library routines create, manipulate, or delete graphic entities (e.g.

lines, circles, points, alphanumerics).

The graphic portions of the user's application program can assemble intricate graphic displays by combining the graphic entities available through the graphic library rou- tines. For example, the user may create a graph grid, etc., from line entities, alphanumeric entities, and curve labels.

He creates the curves by scaling analysis output to the graph grid and drawing small line segments with various line styles

(solid, dashed, center lines, etc.).

Similarly he may wish to insert loads on a pictorial view of a structure. He sets up an application routine which will read various values which he has entered on the display into an analysis program. Graphic library routines are called to assist in entering the values on the display and connecting the values entered on the display to the proper form for analysis input.

The computer manufacturer tries to provide a graphics software package which occupies as little of the computer memory as possible and which provides a sound control of basic graphic entities. A well-designed software package is essential for an efficient, economical ICG installation.

Applications Programs

Graphic applications range all the way from the creation and maintenance of a drawing system to complex scientific and engineering analysis.

The creation and maintenance of a drawing system, in its purest form, involves computing only for the processing and storage of graphics. No analysis computation is involved in such an application.

At the other end of the interactive computer graphic applications spectrum are those programs which accomplish extensive mathematical operations to solve complex analyses.

In this case, graphics is used as a means of inputting values to, and reading answers from, the analysis routines. In be- tween these extremes is a range of applications which mix and combine analysis routines and graphic routines to ac- complish circuit layout and analysis, tool design and produc- tion engineering, piping layouts, etc.

Interactive Computer Graphics for Design Design is a major application area for interactive com- puter graphics. Today, interactive computer graphics is being used successfully in many phases of design from con- cept to the production of final hardware specifications. Some representative design applications of interactive computer graphics are described.

Automated Hardware Design and Numerical Control Automated hardware design (mechanical or electrical!

electronic) is one of the most obvious applications of lCG.

The design process may involve some layout, some mathe- matical analysis, some test and evaluation, specification development, and the preparation of final drawings and production procedures.

It has been demonstrated that interactive computer graph- ics can be of extensive value in each of these phases of hardware design work. Let's look at a typical mechanical and a typical electrical design application.

Let's assume that the designer has to design a complex mechanism to fit in a limited space. He first draws the available space envelope. He then perhaps draws in key points such as drive points, pivot points, axles, etc. and the outline of various parts of the mechanism. In the process of drawing he can group various graphics entities (lines and circles) which make tip a single piece part.

After the mechanism is defined, he may call on various application routines to simulate operation of the mechanism as it was drawn. He might simulate a variety of loadings to test deflection, operation under load, etc.

To do this he calls upon various analysis programs. These programs are very likely standard analysis programs which he used prior to the innovation of graphics. \Vith the use of graphics, he sets the same programs up to take inputs from the CRT. In addition he provides routines which will display the program output in graphic form (curves, alpha- numeric readout on a schematic, etc.).

The designer might analyze heat transfer problems or operation of the mechanism under various environmental stresses. He might for example, draw vectors to indicate loads on a specific point, or enter an alphanumeric descrip- tion of temperature at a point. As flaws in the design become apparent, he can correct the drawing on the scope face.

Once he has satisfied operational requirements, he can proceed to develop the process for producing the mechanism.

He can isolate various parts of the mechanism, then move graphic representations of various cutting tools over the part, operating the "tools" at various speeds, describing the cutting path, designating coolant flows, etc. In the process he may alter the part design to better facilitate fabrication.

Once he has completed the design, he can call for creation of numerically controlled tape directly from his design. At any time after the design is complete, the designer can recall his design from storage, insert changes, and re-run various design analysis.

Similarly, an electronic designer can proceed from concept through schematic layout, functional simulation, and physical layout to process engineering using computer graphics. He builds a circuit schematic. He calls application routines which perform basic circuit checks, such as open circuits, shorts, etc. He then specifies various inputs and environ- mental conditions and, using another application routine, observes the output of the circuit under anticipated operating conditions. Once he has satisfied the operating requirements for the circuit, he can proceed with circuit board layout, and the development of numerical control tapes to control production.

Data Reduction and Evaluation

Data reduction and evaluation is another prime application area for ICG. Aerospace and oil companies both generate extremely large batches of .data. This data is most often associated with a single test (e.g., a space vehicle flight, or an oil well sounding). In both cases, the criteria for identi- fying and eliminating random and systematic. data errors is difficult to define completely. Human judgment must find and eliminate such errors.

Consider, for example, the task of reducing the data from the flight of a launch vehicle. This job involves thousands of man-hours and is often accomplished on a crash basis.

The raw data tapes are read into an interactive computer graphics system. A display may consist of continuous curves or numerous single data points. The console operator can edit random errors in the raw data by picking various points or portions of a curve with a light pen and eliminating them from further consideration in curve fitting, statistical evalua- tion, etc.